Failsafe
by Shynah
Summary: "To compensate automatically for failure" or, "Guaranteed not to fail"  The law was made to get more trainers, to make training interesting again, an 'honest' attempt to help the world. But don't they say, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions"
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Pokémon isn't mine, if it was, why bother writing _fan_fiction?**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**_Failsafe_**

_"Call me an idiot, but unlike you I don't __have__ to do anything. No responsibilities except to keep me and my team alive. No rent to pay, no boss to work my ass off for. Nothing, just me, myself and my pokémon. And then they call me the idiot.  
><em>Joseph Mayne, pokémon trainer (1st of December, 2532)

**Nimbasa City Stadium, April 18th 2523**

Adam watched as the cameras around him flashed, momentarily blinding him as he tried to focus on the president.

"Today we are here to see the fifth generation of _Failsafe _trainers leave into the wide world!" the man said into the microphone, his voice echoing through the stadium filled with people.

"Five hundred young men and women whose records show us they have the limitless _potential _to become _great_ will support us as marvellous trainers and coordinators! After a short, mandatory five-week training camp we deem them fully capable of going out into the wild! While their peers will go to secondary schools across the continent they will travel, experiencing life in a totally different and just as important way. And today is that day! Today they will set out, leaving their homes behind to excel in a different way! Today, we celebrate their courage and see them off like the heroes they are!"

The people applauded, cheers ringing through the stadium and making Adam's ears hurt as he tried his best to appear calm and collected. He didn't like standing here, _at all. _Dressed up and untameable hair tamed with cans of hairspray and lots of gel, it felt wrong. But, he had no choice. The president surely did a good job of making it sound like an _honour _to be here, but it wasn't. _Failsafe _merely meant 'too dumb for a decent education' and ultimately sends you away so the government doesn't have to waste money on you. It also meant 'too poor', 'not dumb but not cut out for anything' or 'your parents wanted you gone' because _yes, _there were lots of parents that signed their children up for this. Because after all, why go through the trouble of getting your kid a pokémon if you can get him the full starting-kit by just signing his name on a list and hope he gets chosen? There were even kids signing _themselves _up for various reasons. Understandable, as for some it was a way out of a horrible life, but still.

It was five years ago that the first 150 Failsafe-Trainers left. Chosen from hundreds of either willing or unwilling candidates (and those applied by their parents, school or orphanage) around the age of 13 they were handed letters detailing the new law, called either the Failsafe _programm _or the Failsafe _law_. To those involved, it was a law. Obey it, or .. well .. everyone just obeyed it. For the public, it was a programm. One you should be happy with once you got in. And after five short weeks of being told just what would be expected of them whilst given a more in-depth explanation about pokémon they attended the ceremony and left. The public only knew half of the truth. They believed it was for the best, that they were _happy _to go. But they aren't, Failsafe means a way to get rid of the less productive, wealthy or intelligent members of society by making them a pokémon trainer. Something you need no skills whatsoever for. _Perfect _for dumb kids showing no signs of intelligence. It truly was a _Failsafe_, when all else fails turn them into a trainer. And next to being a way to get rid of the weaker stock it was a way to make pokémon training interesting and _fun _again, like it had been in the past. And that was just _half _of the chosen people, it was common knowledge that 50% of the candidates were the hopeless while the other 50% were those that could have done anything but really _chose _to apply. Or were applied by their parents, once again, not uncommon.

Adam gritted his teeth, staring at the president with disdain. _Be glad, mister president, that you have a squad of competent psychic pokémon doing your security. Otherwise there might be, say, around 250 of the 500 that are very angry, vengeful kids just given a pokémon wanting a piece of you._

It was also because the trainer population kept shrinking, most of the _smart _kids weren't as eager to start a journey as other years. Training had become sort of _uncool _for most of them. Parents thought it to be one of those professions only those who fail at _life _could successfully be. And after the Failsafe law it really was a profession, trainers got a meagre amount of money from the government each month. It wasn't enough to live from but they were supposed to get the rest by winning battles. Or getting a side job. Sure, there were some that really aspired to be trainers, but the majority of children and teens didn't. And that's how Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova formed the Failsafe law. So in case that _no one_ wouldwant to become a trainer they could fall back on this law, and to bring training back into the spotlight as a _worthy _thing to pursue. By now, five years since the first batch of Failsafe-trainers departed, one hundred children from each continent are chosen to participate, or in some cases, _forced _to. And with the ceremony being held in Unova this year it meant listening to president Casey's honeyed lies. And for some reason, the crowd _loved _it. For them, failsafe trainers were some weird reality soap. It even worked. The amount of new trainers had _tripled _in just five years. Still, three times a small amount is still a small amount, but it appeared to work. People saw them as role models, each and every failsafe trainer getting past the sixth gym was considered a local, and sometimes even _national _hero. More so when you looked at the death count. Those that survived _that long _must be very special and awesome, right? Pokémon training was a high-risk high-reward kind of job, if you got far you could make lots of money in tournaments and also by just doing the league challenge but the risks were sky high, something even the dumbest idiots knew. Each pokémon has _at least _two creative ways to kill you, ranging from burning, drowning, chocking an poisoning and blunt force trauma to being ripped to pieces or having completely fried brain cells courtesy of angry psychic.

_And that was what failsafe was all about_, Adam thought to himself as his eyes narrowed,_ simply getting rid of those you don't want and helping those you do want by giving them free publicity and the whole starting kit jazz. Just because I don't dislike becoming a Failsafe trainer doesn't mean I don't have my doubts. Seeing how the majority seems to die within a few months._

_But I won't end that way, _Adam thought, fully convinced he would be part of minority that would end up successful, _I won't end up as another nameless body in a morgue. I made my lists and I know what to do! And I'm not dumb! Just not that smart, but not dumb!_

"-And now, each young trainer will be given a pokémon from a region _other _than their own. Starting alphabetically with last names starting with the letter A, I welcome Diane Aberts from Unova to the stage!"

A pudgy girl with glasses climbed the stairs leading to the stage, her eyes grim but a big, fake smile plastered on her face as she was handed a standard issue pokéball from president Casey who then shook her hand. She threw the pokéball in the air and a Growlithe materialised next to her.

"And what will you name him?" President Casey asked sweetly as he smiled at the girl.

Diane Aberts seemed to think for a minute before saying, "Chip," into the microphone president Casey held her way.

"How lovely, put your hands together for Diane Aberts and Chip!"

And the crowd did, clapping happily as she girl exited the stage.

Next came a boy, David Almer from Kanto, followed by another boy and then a girl again. This went on for_ half _an _hour_, neither the crowd or the president ever losing their enthusiasm (no matter how false on the president's side) as person after person was introduced and given a pokémon.

"And now, I welcome Adam Carter from Unova!"

Adam climbed up the stairs, hands balled into sweaty fists as he gulped and stared at the _thousands _of people around him and the even bigger amount of people watching this on the television. He could feel his heart beat erratically, the tiny beads of sweat travelling down his forehead and was _completely _aware of the fact that _everyone _was watching _him. _He was face to face with president Casey as the middle-aged man handed him a pokéball with a horrible fake smile. Showcasing shiny white teeth that gleamed unnaturally.

Adam threw the ball into the air, secretly a _bit _curious about what was inside as the beam of bright red light shot down to the stage and began to take form.

Finally the red light seemed to melt away, leaving a Ponyta standing on the stage. Flaming mane and tail burning intensely as the pokémon stared at what would be its new trainer with curiosity.

"What will you name him?" President Casey asked, grey eyes staring at Adam's own green ones intently.

"Alexander," Adam said immediately, already having thought of a male _and _female name for his new business associate, or pokémon or even _friend _, depending how you looked at the situation as a job or as a long-term holiday or even a jail mate if you found it to be like prison. Which many did, by the way.

"That's great, put your hands together for Adam Carter and Alexander!" President Casey said into the microphone, his voice never changing a bit as Adam made his way down again to sit on his designated chair. Alexander already back into his pokéball.

As he sat down in the too-uncomfortable chair he thought of what would happen next. His new pokém-_Alexander, _he thought, _I should start calling him Alexander, _wasn't what he had thought of when thinking of possible pokémon he could be given. _Alexander _included he had only counted three other fire-pokémon, Diane Aberts' Growlithe and a boy's Charmander. _Now I have to re-budget, _he thought grimly as he thought of his savings. Adam and his parents had known for quite some time that he would be a _Failsafe _candidate. And so they made the adequate preparations, Adam had taken up a paper round and started saving both his salary _and _his pocket money and whatever he got from relatives whilst his parents put aside a small amount of money every month. He could probably buy himself some decent stuff without having to resort to begging. And if money _truly _became a problem he always had his family to fall back on, unlike some others.

But Alexander would complicate his whole plan. He'd hoped for either a simple, calm grass-pokémon that demanded very little care or food as they were capable of foraging for themselves. But fire types were heavy eaters, needing _lots _of calories to keep their body temperatures high enough to produce fire. They were demanding, needy, and often ill-tempered. They did have the whole 'destructive power' thing that attracted younger kids and pyromaniacs, and they tended to like battling, but they were unstable. _Alexander _would need special food, medicine and probably a vitamin pack as well. Not to mention what _he _would need, fire-proof gloves, burn ointment and to go through the trouble of registering Alexander to with one of Unova's government agencies that kept track of both foreign and potentially dangerous pokémon. In short, all kinds of new trouble.

It was an hour later that Adam had given up on even _trying _to look interested. He had effectively re-evaluated his budget plan and came up with ways to save money in the long run. Having a pokémon capable of running very fast for long periods definitely saved money in the vehicle department. No shady Pidgeot-pilots for him. But he would need proper fire-proof tack, which would be expansive. Adam looked around through half-lidded eyes as he yawned. And what he did wasn't even the worst, hell, he even saw some kids _sleeping _in their respective chairs. The audience and president however were as enthusiastic as ever, applauding each and every child that received a pokémon. So he closed his eyes too and leant back, keeping his mouth shut to prevent any drooling and let his thoughts wander.

Adam awoke with a start to a thundering applause echoing through the stadium, it kicked him awake from his slumber and he felt himself heat up as he wiped the thin trail of drool from the corner of his mouth. Adam Carter, drooling in front of thousands, now live on television.

He yawned again as he looked up to the podium where president Casey was illuminated by the spotlights, a stark contrast to the already darkening skies as he said the last words of his ending speech.

"-And to honour tradition, all trainers will depart from their respective nation's starting town two days from now! Give them another applause!"

And the crowd did, applauding enthusiastically as they rose from their seats. Adam merely snorted shortly, green eyes focusing on the president with disdain. He didn't mind being a failsafe trainer, he'd long since accepted that fact, it was the spectacle around it that disgusted him. Carter males don't like spectacles. Especially if said spectacle involved them.

And then, like they had rehearsed, all failsafe trainers stood up. Some did need to be woken up, but in the end they all managed to form the long line to the field's exit while the crowd kept clapping. _How come their hands haven't disintegrated with all the clapping they did_, Adam wondered as he mindlessly followed the one walking in front of him.

Once they walked through seemingly endless halls filled with reporters, _'important' _people and family members they were escorted outside where a squad of Kadabra and Alakazam waited to teleport the new trainers and their family home. Adam mindlessly awaited his turn, not reacting until the Kadabra's trainer called out his name for a second time.

"Come on Adam, your mother is waiting," a man of medium height but with a stocky build said as he clapped Adam's back.

"Yes, yes," Adam mumbled as his father pulled him along to where the man and his pokémon were waiting.

"Adam and William Carter?" the man in uniform asked as he read the names from a list before looking up at them questioningly.

"Yes, that's us," William Carter said as he nodded at the man.

"Hold onto the Kadabra please," the man replied in a clipped tone as he grabbed the pokémon's one hand before watching Adam and his father do the same.

Adam barely had time to take a deep breath and prepare for the worst when he felt like his whole _body _just disintegrated into millions of tiny pieces. For a split second he panicked before he was suddenly _there _again, standing in front of his house as if nothing ever happened.

"I will be back the day after tomorrow, a quarter past one sharp. Please be prepared to leave immediately, I have a tight schedule," the man said before he and the Kadabra disappeared from view again.

"Yeah, thanks-" Adam said awkwardly as he watched the spot where the man was just a second before he followed his father into their house.

"I'm home!" Adam called as he kicked out his shoes, leaving them on the 'welcome home' mat lying innocently on the floor as he watched his dad do the same.

"Welcome home honey," his mother said as she emerged from the living room and kissed his father before giving Adam a kiss on his cheek, "I'm proud of you, just so you know."

"I know, thanks mum," Adam said, trying his best not to sound overly emotional as he placed the pokéball containing Alexander on the cabinet standing in the hallway, he would get to that in the morning. Not now. Now was the time to sleep, close his eyes, lean back and pretend he didn't have to sleep alongside some country road the day after tomorrow. That he didn't have to share the same space with something that was _on fire _the whole time and could kill him with a well-intentioned nudge, or a sneeze, or trample all over him when he gets scared. So yes, suffice to say, Adam Carter, despite his planning and preparations, wasn't looking forward to leaving in 48 hours. _At all._

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><p><strong><em>AN_**

**Adam Carter is someone that has been bothering me for a _long _time and I finally gathered the courage and time to write his story.**

**And yes, this is the same Adam from Purple Glory's last chapter, the chap that might just be a psychopath. This is takes place 11 years before Purple Glory starts, and in those 11 years lots has changed. Also, you probably know his whole team except mystery roaring-pokémon if you read chapter 20 from Purple Glory, but that doesn't mean he doesn't/didn't have others. He certainly is a twisted guy, I give you that. But, no more spoilers, I've got some explaining to do.**

_**1. **_**If no one likes pokémon training,****why do they like the whole Failsafe thingie****?****  
><strong>_** Why do some women like horribly sappy-cliché soaps? No one knows, but as lon**_**g as _they__ don't have to do the training they (the crowd) won't mind and even enjoy it. Same with zombie apocalypse movies, you don't want to be the main character but love the movie nevertheless.__  
><em>**2. The whole law thingie sounds stupid and hard to get.  
><strong>_It is, expect more information in coming chapters. Adam doesn't know the whole story and only has his perspective on the whole issue.__  
><em>**3. If no one wants to be a trainer, why not hide if you're chosen to do the failsafe thing? **_It's not that bad, they just don't want to. It's like being forced to become a fulltime dog-walker-person-thing. It gives you little respect (No offence, I respect dog-walkers and enjoy walking my dog too) but it's not like you feel the need to hide yourself and your family. You are forced to, yes, but it's not like you're being brought to prison.__  
><em>4 <em>_Alexander the Ponyta?_ Really_?_  
>It was either a Ponyta or a Sandshrew and I like things that can set other things on fire. <em>  
>5. Does Adam hate being a Failsafe trainer?<br>_No, he has known for about five years he would be on the list. He doesn't like what it stands for, but has accepted being one. Doesn't mean he enjoys it._  
><strong>****

**Anyway, thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Pokémon .. yeah. Not mine.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

_"The line between Humanity and Insanity are often crossed. But beware, once crossed … there is no way back."  
><em>Adrian Howard, convicted murderer. (20th of March, 2530)

**Carter Family Home, Nacrene City , April 19th 2523**

Adam was standing in his backyard, staring intently at Alexander before picking something out of his pocket.

"Let's see what it has to say about you," Adam mumbled as he aimed the small device at his Ponyta.

Contrary to popular belief, Failsafe trainers were _not _given a pokédex at the start of their journey. All of Unova's trainers were handed an Unova standard issue c-gear. Capable of scanning a pokémon to see their moves, status, gender and more and it could receive a signal from about anywhere in Unova. They started handing freely them out after a boy died in a cave, unable to call for help.

"Ponyta, male .. yes already knew that. Tail whip, Growl, Tackle and … Hypnosis? Flame wheel?" Adam exclaimed as he watched the lazily grazing Ponyta that didn't seem fazed at all from his sudden, uncharacteristic outburst.

"Must be those egg moves they talked about, weird combo though. I could probably work with that," Adam said to himself as he scratched his head before pocketing his c-gear again.

"Okay," Adam said as he grabbed the book lying innocently in the grass next to his feet, "Let's start checking."

He started flipping through the pages, each and every one of them filled with a neat handwriting until he reached 'In case of getting a fire-pokémon' as he grabbed a pencil from his other pocket.

Adam started scribbling on the pages, adding stuff here and there and occasionally writing a 'Done' after some of the points. Writing down things was his _thing_, Adam did it for as long as he could remember. This book held his everything, from what he thought was a valid survival plan for a nuclear war to a detailed guide on how to mend clothes. It was all hand written and he kept adding things through the various years. It also held his check lists, a detailed map of Unova and a list of various numbers he could call in case of an emergency.

"So, Alexander .. " Adam began awkwardly as he watched his Ponyta, "I don't really _like _fire-pokémon seeing how they tend to put things on fire. And us humans aren't really made for that, nor are books, or electronics .. or grass .. and forests .."

His voice trailed off as he saw himself setting fire to Unova's forests and plains, not a good idea.

"So, if you refrain from setting things on fire without _vocal _permission from me, I'll let you walk alongside me for the duration of the journey. Deal?"

Alexander watched Adam for a while, his brown eyes drilling holes into Adam's green before he slowly nodded his head.

Adam sighed, relieved that that went well enough for his tastes, before adding another thing.

"I'm going inside now .. just .. don't burn down our backyard okay?"

With that Adam rushed back inside, slamming the glass door closed behind him as watched his little brother walk up towards him. His plush Patrat dangling from his tiny hand as he watched Alexander with big brown eyes as he put his thumb in his mouth.

"Whas'da, 'Dam?" he asked, voice muffled as he refused to remove his thumb.

"That's a Ponyta, Tom," Adam said gently as he ruffled his little brother's dusty curls, "From Kanto."

"Cwool," Tom mumbled as he pressed his nose against the glass door and continued staring at Alexander.

"Yeah, _cool_," Adam mumbled before he rushed up the stairs, intent on finding out more about Ponyta as a specie.

Adam quickly pressed the power button on his laptop, his notebook faithfully lying on his desk next to the laptop. He would miss the old thing, but a laptop had no place in a pokémon journey. Too many ways for it to break, lose power or just get stolen. Besides, they didn't have Wi-Fi on the road either. So, totally useless.

"Ponyta," Adam mumbled as he scrolled down the page filled with search-engine results before finding a promising link from Unova's own department of Pokémon Regulation and Information.

_"Ponyta is a pokémon most commonly found in Kanto's plains and grasslands though some have been found roaming Mt. Silver. They are commonly used in races or by trainers to enhance their own mobility. _

_**Warning: **__Any trainer trying to ride a Ponyta must first get himself a set of fire-proof tack and clothes to prevent burns. Also, trainers are recommended to __**only **__ride a Ponyta when they are not too tall or heavy in comparison to the Ponyta._

_Their diet mainly consists of various grasses, leaves and the occasional berries. In winter months we advise trainers to provide extra food such as hay, nutrient blocks and general fire-pokémon food though this is optional. Trainers are advised not to feed a Ponyta meat, it causes colic and disrupts their digestion process. Also, letting them drink salt water is not recommended for the same reason._

_Like all other pokémon, Ponyta need exercise. A Ponyta can reach speeds up to 90 miles per hour whereas a full-grown Rapidash reaches up to 150m/h. A Ponyta is capable of making sharp turns and stopping swiftly after reaching their top speed though letting a Ponyta run full-speed through a forest is not recommended for obvious reasons. A Ponyta is capable of jumping a maximum of 5'5 feet high and up to a distance of 6 feet. Either letting them run around for a period up to three-and-a-half hours or keeping a healthy training regime when using as a battle-pokémon will suffice._

_We recommend you to have your Ponyta checked out by a Nurse Joy once each year for influenza like viruses and other diseases though it is not mandatory. A Ponyta or Rapidash only need to have their hooves checked out when cracks appear diagonally on them, if this is not the case they are fine. Also, if your Ponyta's core temperature exceeds 58.76 degrees Centigrade it is most likely fighting of a disease and we recommend a full check-up in the nearest pokécenter. If that is not available, feeding them small amounts of Lum, Sitrus and Oran berries to improve their immune system._

_Ponyta are mainly a visual-oriented pokémon, they rely on eyesight more often than not. In case of sudden blindness a Ponyta will either rampage and attack anything it can find or run away blindly which can quite possibly cause harm to itself. We advise trainers, breeders and coordinators to gently ease their Ponyta into experiencing the loss of sight so a Sand-Attack or stray piece of cloth does not become a disaster._  
><em><br>Wild and tamed Ponyta are generally playful and docile. They tend to kick at things behind them and may bolt when faced with a scary situation. Older Ponyta or Ponyta close to evolving will tend to be more violent and competitive up to the point of chasing around other pokémon before engaging them in battle. This may be seen as predatory behaviour of a young carnivorous-pokémon, 'playing with food', but is in fact a way to show off speed, agility and battle prowess to either its trainer or a potential mate._

_A Ponyta's owner is advised to register the pokémon at the nearest pokécenter and invest in fire proof equipment. Also, we advise extreme caution when in forests or other areas where fire spreads quickly."_

Adam pressed the 'print' button as he stood up from his chair and walked over to his window, overlooking the backyard. He saw Alexander quietly grazing on the grass as his fiery tail swished from side to side in quiet contentment. Tommy was standing a few feet away, watching in silent, child-like awe as Alexander grazed. It was quite funny, how his little brother _did _like pokémon but would probably grow out of that the moment he grew older, like so many others. Adam never liked them himself, the sight of something so _big _and _dangerous _not endearing the sometimes cute creatures to him. He was indifferent to them now though, he had to be. One can't work as a pilot is he's afraid of heights.

Adam walked over to his desks again, grabbed the piece of paper he just printed and folding it neatly before tucking it into his notebook. No use in copying it all down on paper _now_, too much work. He had other things to do, like re-budgeting _again _to scrap the food and change it with grasses, notably less expensive, and to add winter food. He'd do it some other time, on a rainy day when he's stuck in a pokécenter or something. But nevertheless, it's good to be prepared. After all, he wanted to be relatively successful at this.

And so Adam started writing again, erasing parts and adding to others as he cursed Unova's policy on foreign pokémon. It proved quite annoying at times like these, more work and all. But it had its usefulness every now and then. Unova was the _only _region where trainers were given a strict no-release policy for _any _foreign pokémon. It kept pokémon bloodlines strong and pure though some of the rarer pokémon often had inbreeding problems. But since the decrease in trainers these problems became few and far between only to rise every now and then around the time failsafe trainers set out. It was the same for any Unovan pokémon in other regions, they were not allowed to be released.

"Adam, your Ponyta is leaving some unwanted gifts on your mother's lawn!" Adam suddenly heard his father yell from downstairs and he pushed his chair back from his desk as he hurried to the window. There, next to one of the ugly garden-gnomes lay a fresh heap of Ponyta-poo.

"Got it .. " Adam mumbled, more to himself than to his dad as he forced himself to the stairs, dragging his feet the entire time.

_Note to self_, Adam thought as he shovelled the dung into the garbage bin next to the shed with a grimace, _find funds to cover both air fresheners and portable flamethrower. I may quite possibly have a portable chemical-weapon on my hands if I don't._

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><p><strong>Clearing in front of the Nuvema Town Laboratory, Nuvema Town, April 20th 2523<strong>

It was set-out day, traditionally held in the respective Region's starting town. There were dozens of cameras being set up and reporters swarming around to interview the new and _enthusiastic _trainers. They had rehearsed it about five times, when to let your pokémon out and throw their pokéballs up. When to charge forward, when to stop and where to line up to get back to your own region when the whole ordeal was over. It was very fake, rehearsed and not to mention troublesome. Highly so.

"Hullo," a voice from Adam's right said as a lanky, bushy haired blonde girl pushed through the swarm of other trainers, "Ah'm Jill, ye've got a Ponyta right?"

"Err .. yeah?" Adam responded awkwardly as he watched the girl, she wore a chequered shirt and with overalls that had the pants rolled up to her knees and a pair of huge western boots adorned her feet. He almost pictured her with a cowboy hat and a pitchfork before dismissing the image.

"Mah cousins Joe 'n Ed have one of those on their farm, Ah was just wonderin' what yer gonna use it for," She said in a hard-to-miss Johto drawl.

"Battling, you know .. average trainer stuff," Adam stated, "How did you remember _I _was the one with the Ponyta?"

"Ah've got one of those pictogramical memories or that's what Auntie says," Jill said as she scratched her head.

"Photographic memory, you mean," Adam said, baffled as to why she couldn't remember that despite claiming to have a 'pictogramical' memory.

"Sure, photographic .. pictogramical .. yer city folks are all the same. Always creatin' more stupid words for us farm folks to remember. I aint no genius and I aint likin' yer stupid words," Jill ranted as she threw her hands in the air and stomped her feet.

"Okay .. sure," Adam mumbled, itching to get away from the crazy girl.

"So, how'd yer like bein' a Failsafe-trainer ehh?" she asked, suddenly as calm as ever, "Daddy says it's to be expected 'f me, Ah never went to those fancy schools like yer city folks. Ah learned like any good girl from her daddy should, milkin' Miltank 'nstead of readin' stupid books. Can't blame em for wantin' me gone, those government fella's."

"I don't really care," Adam admitted as he suppressed his eye twitch caused by the girl's sudden switch in mood, "I'll get paid, which is good. So yeah .. not much."

"Ah yer one of them greedy fella's then, eh? Cousin Larry hates 'em ya know, used to send his Arcanine at 'em but had to stop 'cause the police told him he couldn't just torch them bailiffs. They took his Arcanine 'n then Cousin Larry got himself a gun 'n now he shoots at them but 'cause he's a terrible shot he never hits 'em," Jill rambled merrily as her hands made a shooting motion before he directed her brown eyes back at Adam, "Yer not greedy then, are ye? Ah really hate 'em too and ah'll send out Billy if ah must."

"Who's Billy?" Adam asked before his voice was cut off by a monotone voice stating they had to get in their positions. He saw Jill wave at him before she disappeared in the crowd again

Adam sighed as he got to where he was supposed to stand too, next to an obese girl with pigtails and a short boy with glasses that shot him a downright _evil _look before huffing and sticking his nose in the air. The camera crews were busy covering every possible angle on them from the ground while a helicopter zoomed above them. Adam kept his face carefully calm, not wanting to get a close up and have the whole world see him cry or do something embarrassing. Even though he tried, he couldn't keep himself from sneezing and the yawn that followed, he just hoped no one zoomed in on him then.

"And now, on this glorious day, we let our newest generation of Failsafe trainers out into the wild so they may grow as persons and experience life!" President Casey said through the microphone as his voice rang through the clearing while he stood on the make-shift stage, "On the count of three!"

"One."

Pokéballs were thrown in the air, breaking open in what seemed like one, huge blast of red light as 500 different pokémon were called out of their pokéballs. Some stayed airborne, flapping around wildly while others fell to the ground and looked around in confusion. And others, mostly water types, had to be held by their trainers as they couldn't move on land.

Alexander stared at Adam in obvious confusion, Adam just shook his head and waited for the sign.

"Two."

Breaths were held, looks were shared and as the group readied themselves to start running.

"Three."

A gun was fired at that exact moment but no one paid attention to it as they broke out in an all-out sprint like instructed. Pokémon running along in confusion as they stormed down the dirt path leading towards the wide world.

A scream broke out from the spectators as faces and cameras turned to capture the chaos unfolding behind the fences.

In millions of households around the world the television screens showed the same message, _Due to maintenance problems we are unable to continue airing._

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><p><strong>AN.**

**Another chapter, after much delay.**

**To clear things up.**

**1. If it's so _bad _****to work with pokémon, why are there still farms?  
><em>People need food, dairy and protection (in case of Cousin Larry's Arcanine), which is perfectly normal for the general public.<br>_2. Jill is a stereotype farmgirl/cowgirl/whatever.  
><em>Yes, yes she is. Kudos for anyone recognizing her (or her family members).<br>_3. Who's Billy?  
><em>A rainbow-coloured Eevee that can tapdance.<em>**

**Anyway, thank you for reading and a special thanks to Tanon and Omega the Omniscient for reviewing and adding me to your alerts. I really hope I lived up to your expectations of not having this degenerate into another standard pokémon-journey fic.  
><strong>


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